Painter of Miracles
by Kamitra
Summary: I hate the title, but that's not the point. The point is that Kamui is a good patient and Arashi isn't. Sorashi.


Author's Note. 

I should mention that I wrote this two years ago. And that I _really **really**_ hate the title of this piece. Even though I thought it wasn't too bad, I promptly forgot about it. Until recently.

Ah sleep deprivation, how I hate/love thee. And that's exactly what I'm going to feel tomorrow, but I /had/ to write something. Especially about Sorata and Arashi. Clocked time: 1.5 hours. 

Yes, this is fic challenge. It's not really that much of a challenge, because I seem to do both extremes relatively easy. It's in between those extremes that really gets me. ;; 

Disclaimer. And it's a draft because I'm stupid.

ooooo

**Painter of Miracles**

by Kamitra

Sorata watched as Arashi nudged a leaf with her shoe. It was rare to see her fiddle like this, but something had changed about her recently. Instead of simply closing her eyes and waiting like before, she moved dead foliage around as they waited for Kamui and Yuzuriha to finish up. Sorata had his guesses why. Not that any of them really mattered. All he wanted to do was protect her from any sort of harm – whether that be from a Dragon or a common cold. It didn't matter what her reasons were for a change in demeanor – as long as she was safe, he was content.

Come to think of it, the last time he had seen that look on her face was the last time he caught a cold.

Everyone was down with the flu that month, with the exception of Subaru and himself. It was surprising to Sorata that Arashi was sick while Subaru wasn't, but no one else seemed to think it strange. In a way, he mused, it was a good thing that Subaru wasn't sick – if he was, then they'd have to deal with Kamui overextending himself to see that he was (or wasn't) getting better. Two months before that, Kamui spent much of his time either brooding or watching after Subaru while the onmyouji regained his strength from going Within.

However, Subaru didn't live with the younger seals. Although Nokoru, Suoh, and Akira sent their regards (and special chicken soup) everyday and Karen and Seiichirou came to visit when they could, parts of the day left Sorata caring for a bunch of sick people. A bunch of sick people that didn't like being sick.

Surprisingly enough (the whole week was full of surprises), Kamui was the best patient. He didn't like being sick, but ate and drank whatever he was given. Arashi came next, although she gave him the dirtiest looks whenever he tried to spoon-feed her. It wasn't until Kamui became well (in 3 days) and demonstrated that Sorata did indeed spoon-feed everyone that she submitted to treatment.

Last was Yuzuriha. Again, unexpectedly, it wasn't that she was so full of energy that she couldn't keep still, but that she kept trying overextend herself, saying that she was fine, could go back to school, and visit her friends, and just please please let her go to school at least one full day. In fact, Yuzuriha pushed it so much that she was still sick when Sorata finally caught the same sickness a week later.

While he was out the other Seals took care of Yuzuriha and himself. Whatever they did worked, because both he and she were up and about in almost record time (which was Kamui's).

He watched her then just as he did now. Sometimes he made a charming comment about her looks, but he always watched her. She didn't seem to so as much mind the stare as the compliments, which confused him a little. But since she didn't mind, he watched her as she read a book. The subtle changes in her expression were always such a fascinating and beautiful thing to watch. The slight flicker in her eyes, not to mention the graceful way she turned the page as her gaze would move to the other side…

He drifted off to sleep.

When he opened his eyes again, he caught his first glimpse of that particular expression. It was as if the summer sun was playing along a curtain of leaves and the gentle breeze swept through them. In Sorata terms, it was indescribable.

Now he saw that look everyday. Not in the same way as then, but at the edges of her face. Maybe it was her lightly blushed cheekbones or slight tilt of her almond-shaped eyes. He couldn't quite place what that was, but it seemed to do her well, so he never asked.

Suddenly, she turned to him. Everything about her expression said that she had something she wanted to say, but couldn't. He was about to save her the trouble and ask what that was when he felt a presence neither he hadn't felt in a long time. Arashi recognized it as well, and her expression faded back into that slight impression of before. 

Yuzuriha had been missing in action all last week, and suddenly her kekkai had gone up. Naturally they were all very worried, but Princess Hinoto had assured them that she would return safe. In addition, she requested that they see her immediately after she returned. So now they were waiting for Yuzuriha and Kamui to come back from their battle. The bentos and chocolate muffins to celebrate the inugami mistress's homecoming was safely tucked into Sorata's backpack.

Seeing Hinoto was top priority, so they would eat them afterwards. Destiny comes first, after all.

They both ran up to greet the two Seals as they landed. Sorata with hugs and hair tousles and Arashi with her gentle smile. The smile had only a touch of that impression, but it was warm and genuine.

ooooo

I'm sure you can suggest a better non-chronic disease. ;; But I haven't been sick in a long while, so mostly what I do is what Sorata did – care for a bunch of terrible sick patients. ;;

Moral of the story? It's not good to post a fic without proofreading first. nods wisely And sleep deprivation sucks like that.


End file.
